New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Penn Farm
Photographed By Bill Pfingsten, January 18, 2016
1. Penn Farm Marker
Inscription.
Penn Farm. . The 112-acre Penn Farm is the last surviving farm of the 1,068-acre New Castle Common. William Penn, Proprietor and Governor of Pennsylvania, made his warrant in writing under his hand and seal in October 1701, granting the New Castle Common “to lye in Common for the accommodation of the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle for their onley use and behoof forever”. The Common served as both pasture land for livestock and a source of wood for inhabitants of New Castle. It is held in trust and managed by the Trustees of the New Castle Common, a private land trust first chartered in 1764. In 1792, the Board of Trustees divided the Common into eleven tenant farms for lease. The first tenant was local businessman and Trustee, John Crow, who constructed a house upon the historic farmstead in stages between 1799 and 1828. A granary and dairy barn date to the mid-19th century. This tract of land was later named in honor of the proprietary Penn family and today is a combination of original farms No. 6 and No. 11. The Penn Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The 112-acre Penn Farm is the last surviving farm of the 1,068-acre New Castle Common. William Penn, Proprietor and Governor of Pennsylvania, made his warrant in writing under his hand and seal in October 1701, granting the New Castle Common “to lye in Common for the accommodation of the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle for their onley use and behoof forever”. The Common served as both pasture land for livestock and a source of wood for inhabitants of New Castle. It is held in trust and managed by the Trustees of the New Castle Common, a private land trust first chartered in 1764. In 1792, the Board of Trustees divided the Common into eleven tenant farms for lease. The first tenant was local businessman and Trustee, John Crow, who constructed a house upon the historic farmstead in stages between 1799 and 1828. A granary and dairy barn date to the mid-19th century. This tract of land was later named in honor of the proprietary Penn family and today is a combination of original farms No. 6 and No. 11. The Penn Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Erected by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number NC-189.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture
Location. 39° 39.898′ N, 75° 35.521′ W. Marker is in New Castle, Delaware, in New Castle County. Marker is on Frenchtown Road (Delaware Route 273), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 807 Frenchtown Road, New Castle DE 19720, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2019. It was originally submitted on January 19, 2016, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 603 times since then and 40 times this year. Last updated on January 19, 2019, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 19, 2016, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
